Jamaica's government has just announced a $5 million program to provide free Internet access in poor communities across the island.

Phillip Paulwell, Jamaica's Commerce and Technology Minister, said, "The "e-Jamaica" initiative will establish 60 Internet centers across the country by 2010, mostly in post offices. The effort is directed at communities that continue to operate on the outskirts of the communications revolution."

The initiative to offer free Internet access comes as a response to the fact that less than 5 percent of Jamaica's 2.6 million people use the Internet due to costly fees. Broadband Internet access starts at $93 per month in Jamaica, compared to $12 in some Asian countries.